PGA Tour: Dufner tops Lingmerth in playoff

Jason Dufner secured his first PGA Tour victory since the 2013 PGA Championship on Sunday, beating David Lingmerth on the second playoff hole at the CareerBuilder Challenge in La Quinta, Calif.

In the final round at PGA West's TPC Stadium Course, Dufner shot a two-under-par 70 to finish at 25-under par. His path to victory included clutch shots including this one off the rocks and onto the 17th green to save par and remain tied for the lead.

"I'm excited for this year," he said after his fourth PGA Tour victory. "I'm excited to accomplish one of my goals this early in the year. I'm excited to keep playing well. I feel like I'm doing some really good stuff. Usually when you win tournaments you get really confident and that kind of breeds some more winning or some more chances to win, which has kind of been the case for me."

Lingmerth posted a seven-under par 65 and caught Dufner on the final holes to get into the playoff. However, a missed birdie opportunity on the first playoff hole and a second shot into the water on the second playoff hole cost him an opportunity to win.

Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, shot a four-under par 68 on Sunday, and tied for third in his first start of 2016. His 72-hole score of 21-under par was his best since winning the 2013 Waste Management Phoenix Open in 28-under.

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